Just look at the Olivier Awards line-up: Hamilton opens the show, plus there’s Chita Rivera and a Joseph tribute!

There’s the West End cast of Hamilton opening the Olivier Awards ceremony, US musical theatre legend Chita Rivera will lead a West Side Story tribute and past stars of Joseph are celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary – it’s going to be quite a night…

The cast of Hamilton, which has a record-breaking 13 Olivier Award nominations – the most of any production in Oliviers history – will open the ceremony on Sunday 8 April 2018 with the opening track ‘Alexander Hamilton’.

It’s big a big year for composer Andrew Lloyd Webber who has just celebrated his 70th birthday. At the Olivier Awardshe will be the celebrating for a different reason alongside lyricist Tim Rice. Past stars of their musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be back onstage to mark the show’s 50th anniversary, including Jason Donovan and Linzi Hateley, Lee Mead and Preeya Kalidas, and Joe McElderry and Danielle Hope.

Chita Rivera will also appear, performing the iconic West Side Story track ‘Somewhere’ with Andy Karl (Olivier Award 2017 winner for his performance in Groundhog Day) and Adam J. Bernard (Olivier Award 2017 winner for his performance in Dreamgirls). They will be joined by Arts Educational Schools London Choir to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the production debuting in London.

And Hamilton won’t be the only cast of a nominated musical to feature during the ceremony, also appearing will John McCrea and the ensemble of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie; Sheila Atim and the cast of Girl From The North Country; Lesley Joseph and the cast of Young Frankenstein; Tracie Bennett from Follies; and the cast of 42nd Street.

The Biggest Night In British Theatre: The Olivier Awards will be broadcast on ITV on Sunday 8 April from 10.20pm and worldwide at the same time, outside the UK, on the Olivier Awards Facebook page.

Plus the entire show will be live on Magic Radio, hosted by Alice Arnold and Olivier Award-winner Ruthie Henshall, with build-up on air from 6pm.

The Red Carpet Live show will return this year from 4pm to 5.30pm, with a special interval Backstage show at 7pm, both shown exclusively on the Olivier Awards Facebook page.

This year’s Olivier Awards return to the Royal Albert Hall and will be hosted by Catherine Tate.